A new wave of innovation is sweeping through Sweden, where young people are taking centre stage in the fight against climate change and unemployment. The 'young planetary stewards' (YPS) scheme, backed by five municipalities and EU funding, has breathed fresh life into local environmental projects, providing paid summer jobs for 15- to 24-year-olds in a sector that desperately needs talent.
According to the latest labour market data from the Swedish Agency for Support to Innovation, youth unemployment remains stubbornly high at around 24% – significantly higher than the EU average of approximately 15%. This has left many young Swedes struggling to secure their first professional roles, with a plethora of entry-level positions in retail and fast-food dominating the job market.
For Oona Verveld and Clara Vikberg, both 18-year-olds who have secured coveted YPS placements, this initiative offers a welcome respite from the usual cycle of internships and short-term contracts. Instead of working on traditional signs for local walking trails, they're creating an innovative network of digital educational displays featuring QR codes that link to up-to-date information on biodiversity and local history.
The programme's unique combination of grassroots action and structured support is winning praise from all corners. Each young participant receives a generous funding package of up to 40,000 Swedish Krona (£3,000) per person, paired with access to expert mentoring in project management – but crucially, the ideas for these projects originate directly from the young people themselves.
My Sellberg, Upplandsbygd's programme lead for regenerative development, attributes the YPS initiative's success to a simple yet effective idea: "Since young people clearly need jobs, why not create them?" This 'leader method', used by the EU to fund local rural development projects, has struck a chord with Upplandsbygd, aligning perfectly with their mission of promoting sustainability and community-driven initiatives.